We needed today! Luckily it was on a strike day....

[atiredmum]

Hi all,

I wanted to post because todays strike has been a total blessing for our family.

Over the past 3 or 4 weeks we've been moving into a place that hasn't felt so good. It all started with a few bugs going through the family. I think we all felt pretty worn out, patience not at it's highest with each other, toddler crying more than usual and a million and 1 other things (pick ups becoming hard, kids seeming stressed through some of the things going on at school). Weekends would be over in a flash (all ill during half term) with sometimes me having to work on one of the days. I'm not wanting sympathy but just the normal crap that goes on.

When we lived in another country we had 10 week terms and parents would take their kids out for long weekends without having to justify it. Now I understand that we live in a different country / culture now and have to accept new boundaries but if in future I feel that it's in the interest of the children to keep them home how would I go about this.... I honestly feel like today could have been called a mental health day.

I'm certainly not condoning that my kids take time off for the hell of it but I'll certainly like to apply a little common sense to where our family is at right now.

Thanks in advance.

Yep,

I feel the same. Today was a blessing for us too. And I've decided after today that if DS is tired (like he is in such a huge way at the moment) I am going to just give him a day off.

He is so tired off at the moment that its not good for him or the school taking him in day after day after day ...

Agree that the 2 strike days this term have been a blessing. Autumn term is just too damn long, IMVHO. IIRC summer term this year was only about 4 weeks each side of half term, whereas this term has been about 7 weeks each side, I really don't understand why they can't balance them a bit more.

It was a blessing for those of us who didn't actually strike! (not in a union....at the moment). You wouldn't believe how much I was actually able to get done, in school yesterday!

Summer term is very short before 1/2 term but then very looooong after, 7/8 weeks or more. But the end of that is mainly "fun" stuff.
My kids have had "mental health days" at primary, however when you get to secondary it is much harder as they do miss a lot of work. I have spent some time in both primary and secondary schools, in primary you do have a real luxury of time compared to secondary.
My kids needed the day, and middle one most, as she has a terrifying schedule in the next few weeks.

My kids have "mental health days". I call in sick for them which is never a lie, its cos they're so run down their permanent colds that they seem to have at this time of year have kept them up in the night. So not a lie but really they're no iller than the day before.